Beyond Our Control // M. Monroe
*Rewritten as of 02-01-26*
A year after the Washington twins vanish into the freezing woods of Blackwood Mountain, Brielle Riley returns to the Washington lodge with the same friend group for a weekend that's supposed to bring closure-but the mountain remembers, and fear slips in fast, turning old friendships into suspicion and every shadow into a threat. She comes with Jessica-her sister, her sharp-edged other half-and their bond is already strained: love knotted with jealousy, old wounds that never healed, and the kind of tension that makes every look feel like a challenge and every silence feel like blame. Caught in the middle is Mike, pulled by history and loyalty, trying to be Brielle's anchor even as the night forces him to choose-again and again-who to protect, what to sacrifice, and how to live with the consequences. As terror fractures the group and the lodge becomes a trap, Brielle is pushed to confront what she owes her sister beyond blood and what she owes herself beyond guilt, learning too late that survival isn't luck-it's choice, and choice always leaves a mark. Because on Blackwood Mountain, the past doesn't stay buried...and by morning, Brielle won't be the same person who arrived.
[This story contains dark and mature subject matter. This story contains themes of grief and death, graphic depictions of physical violence, substance abuse, strong language, sexual content, and depictions of mental health issues. Reader discretion is strongly advised.]
